08-18-2020, 07:51 PM
(08-18-2020, 11:15 AM)David Horn Wrote: First, UBI is not that new. The Swiss have tinkered with it for at least 15 years. Second, the plutocrats will want to keep the spoils they've accumulated, even in the event of a strong leveling event. UBI is a perfect tool to keep them rich and the proles quiet. So Yang may be prescient, but not all that progressive. Also remember, UBI is a government benefit that is easily subject to abuse by the government if the wrong people get a chance to tinker. In that, it's a lot like Social Security, and should have an annual COLA and a strict COLA policy to keep meddling to a minimum.
A better choice would be a large and growing Sovereign Wealth Fund, that holds voting stock in most public stocks. Then, the profits benefit everyone and the control on unacceptable behavior is constrained by the ability to vote proxies.
Interesting idea about the voting stocks. I’ll have to read more about that.
It is the case that the American political spectrum is rather truncated compared to the options other countries really have. Far left policies in other countries just don’t exist in America; politics that Bernie (universal healthcare, free college) and Yang (UBI) support are mostly considered moderate left in most developed countries, such as those in Western Europe. Nationalising the electric grid, oil companies, even the health providers are completely unthinkable.
I personally think the reason this is the case has to do with our first past the post voting system, which causes the two party system, and the complete shutdown of meaningful dialogue. With a more proportional voting system, smaller parties further to the right and left, as well as those offering a mix of policies between the democrats and republicans can actually hold influence in congress, and this will force the main parties to consider more ideas. I feel that change from within the party will only happen when an existential threat emerges, and seeing how this election goes, both parties still haven’t learnt their lessons.
I would be blessed to see the day when true proportional representation is implemented on the federal level in this country.